Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Gov. Brown Declares Emergency As California Burns
Bill McEwen updated website photo 2024
By Bill McEwen, News Director
Published 7 years ago on
July 26, 2018

Share

Fire stoked by hot and windy weather raged through a forest in far northern California on Thursday.
In mountain communities east of Los Angeles, calmer conditions aided firefighters on the lines of a suspected arson wildfire that forced thousands of people to flee.
California Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday issued emergency proclamations in both Riverside County in the south and Shasta County in the north. The declarations authorize the state to rally resources to local government.

Northern California Fire Triples in Size

In the north, new evacuations were ordered for communities in the wilderness recreation region near Whiskeytown Lake as that wildfire tripled in size to more than 31 square miles. It had already forced residents out of French Gulch, a hamlet dating to the Gold Rush.
French Gulch resident Raquel Hines said she had two hours to evacuate and that others in the former mining town had as little as 30 minutes to leave.
The community has faced two wildfires in the last two weeks, Hines said.
“It’s terrifying. You know you’re frightened a little bit because you don’t know if you’re going to come back to your house and the town is going to be different,” she told KRCR-TV.
Cal Fire Unit Chief Mike Hebrard told the Record Searchlight newspaper that the blaze made a huge push overnight and that engine crews were in the community of Old Shasta trying to save structures.

Wildfire in San Jacinto Mountains

Hundreds of miles to the south, winds were absent over the fire in Southern California’s San Jacinto Mountains. But temperatures were rapidly rising, and forecasters said highs could hit 100 degrees. They also warned of possible afternoon wind gusts that could create dangerous fire conditions.
Elsewhere in the state, a huge forest fire continued to grow outside Yosemite National Park.
A total of 100 homes were still considered under threat in the San Francisco Bay community of Clayton, although firefighters had stopped the progress of a small fire there after one house burned.
The blaze in the San Jacinto Mountains erupted Wednesday and quickly turned into a wall of flame that torched timber and tinder-dry brush. In a matter of hours, it grew to 7.5 square miles (19 square kilometers).
About 3,200 people in the town of Idyllwild and nearby communities were ordered to evacuate. An estimated 600 homes were threatened.
The fire was the largest of at least five that police believe were purposely set Wednesday by a man whose car was reportedly spotted at the starting point of the blaze in Riverside County, officials said.

Man Arrested For Arson

Brandon N. McGlover, 32, of Temecula was booked on suspicion of five counts of arson, state fire officials said. It wasn’t clear whether he had an attorney.
Authorities ordered residents to leave Idyllwild and several neighboring communities, home to about 12,000 people.
William Blodgett of Idyllwild said he couldn’t get home because of the fire and had to wait along with others at a gas station in nearby Mountain Center — until the fire hopped a highway and began to move in his direction.
“We were all peeling out of there as fast as we could,” he told KNBC-TV. “It was apocalyptic.”
Horses and other animals were taken to shelters, as were several hundred children who were evacuated from summer camps. About 200 were at a local high school serving as a shelter, KCAL-TV reported.
The fire in the San Bernardino National Forest sent up a cloud 50,000 feet high that was so enormous it created its own weather in the form of lightning, the National Weather Service reported.
Throughout the day, helicopters and planes dumped water and fire retardant that turned swathes of land and homes pink. Fire engines also were stationed to protect homes.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

US Officials Arrest Milwaukee Judge for Obstructing Immigration Operation

DON'T MISS

Exclusive: US Congress Republicans Seek $27 Billion for Golden Dome in Trump Tax Bill

DON'T MISS

China Exempts Some Goods From US Tariffs

DON'T MISS

Luigi Mangione Due in Court for Arraignment as Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty

DON'T MISS

Shedeur Sanders Snubbed in NFL Draft’s Round 1 but Leads List of Top Available Players for Day 2

DON'T MISS

Chargers Choose North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton in Effort to Boost Offense

DON'T MISS

49ers Draft Georgia Edge Rusher Mykel Williams With the No. 11 Pick in the NFL Draft

DON'T MISS

Trump’s Immigration Approval Ratings Decline as Enforcement Tactics Lose Support

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Tased, Arrested After Suspected Reckless DUI in Kerman

DON'T MISS

Madera Vehicle Burglary Leads to Arrests, Gang Charges for Juveniles

UP NEXT

Abundance Meets Resistance: Are CA Dems Finally Ready to Go All In on Building Housing?

UP NEXT

Less Than Half of Californians Think K-12 Schools Are on the Right Track: Poll

UP NEXT

On Major Economic Decisions, Trump Blinks, and Then Blinks Again

UP NEXT

How Trump Tariffs Could Upend California Farms, Wine Businesses, and Ports

UP NEXT

Survey: Californians Blame Utility Company Spending, Profits for High Electricity Rates

UP NEXT

Chicago Bears Great Steve McMichael Dies at 67 After Battle With ALS

UP NEXT

Long Wait Is Over for Cam Ward, Travis Hunter and Other Draft Prospects Joining the NFL

UP NEXT

Golden State’s Jimmy Butler Injured in Game 2 Loss, His Status for Game 3 Unknown

UP NEXT

Jalen Green Makes Eight 3s to Help Rockets Even Series With Warriors

UP NEXT

Newsom Seeks Help for Struggling Oil Refiners

Bill McEwen,
News Director
Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at Send an Email

Luigi Mangione Due in Court for Arraignment as Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty

1 hour ago

Shedeur Sanders Snubbed in NFL Draft’s Round 1 but Leads List of Top Available Players for Day 2

2 hours ago

Chargers Choose North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton in Effort to Boost Offense

2 hours ago

49ers Draft Georgia Edge Rusher Mykel Williams With the No. 11 Pick in the NFL Draft

2 hours ago

Trump’s Immigration Approval Ratings Decline as Enforcement Tactics Lose Support

2 hours ago

Fresno Man Tased, Arrested After Suspected Reckless DUI in Kerman

2 hours ago

Madera Vehicle Burglary Leads to Arrests, Gang Charges for Juveniles

2 hours ago

Why Texas Is Ahead of California on Bilingual Education

3 hours ago

US Universities Help Foreign Students Weather Trump Deportations

3 hours ago

Alphabet Says Waymo May Offer Robotaxis for Personal Ownership in Future

3 hours ago

US Officials Arrest Milwaukee Judge for Obstructing Immigration Operation

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. officials arrested a Wisconsin judge on Friday and charged her with helping a man evade immigration author...

18 minutes ago

Hannah Dugan speaks as she was seeking election to Milwaukee County Circuit Court during a forum at the Milwaukee Bar Association in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., March 15, 2016. Mike De Sisti / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images via (REUTERS/File Photo)
18 minutes ago

US Officials Arrest Milwaukee Judge for Obstructing Immigration Operation

A Lockheed Martin Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile interceptor is seen during the third annual "Made in America Product Showcase" on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., July 15, 2019. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo)
1 hour ago

Exclusive: US Congress Republicans Seek $27 Billion for Golden Dome in Trump Tax Bill

A general view shows container terminal in Hong Kong, China, April 23, 2025. (REUTERS/Tyrone Siu/File Photo)
1 hour ago

China Exempts Some Goods From US Tariffs

Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealth Group chief executive Brian Thompson, appears in Manhattan Supreme Court on New York state murder and terrorism charges in New York City, U.S., February 21, 2025. (Curtis Means/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo)
1 hour ago

Luigi Mangione Due in Court for Arraignment as Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) throws a pass against Central Florida during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP File)
2 hours ago

Shedeur Sanders Snubbed in NFL Draft’s Round 1 but Leads List of Top Available Players for Day 2

2 hours ago

Chargers Choose North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton in Effort to Boost Offense

2 hours ago

49ers Draft Georgia Edge Rusher Mykel Williams With the No. 11 Pick in the NFL Draft

President Donald Trump speaks at the National Prayer Breakfast at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP File)
2 hours ago

Trump’s Immigration Approval Ratings Decline as Enforcement Tactics Lose Support

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend